Foto: Istimewa
White spots, known as 'Ich', are a parasitic disease that commonly attacks fish commodities. This disease is caused by a ciliated protozoan parasite with the scientific name Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. This single-celled organism attacks almost all species of freshwater fish and infects the skin, fins and gills.
General handling instructions
Controlling Ich outbreaks has its own challenges because the life cycle of the parasite is very dependent on temperature, where parasite propagation increases at relatively warm temperatures of between 20-30 °C.
Various chemotherapy agents can be used to treat infected fish both in ornamental fish in aquariums and in cultivation ponds, but their use requires more attention to their impact. Some drugs or chemicals are toxic to certain fish species and treatment methods must pay attention to the type of fish species because some species are intolerant to certain types of drugs.
Several types of chemicals have been widely used, one of which is malachite green which is commonly used because it is very effective and low cost. However, this organic dye is carcinogenic and its use has been banned in many countries.
Currently, fish farmers have used several other types of chemicals such as formalin, copper sulfate, peracetic acid, sodium percarbonate to control this disease through continuous treatment of infected or disease-contaminated water sources.